Steam keed instrument



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE G. RAY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

STEAM REED INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent No.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, Gno. G. RAY, of Boston, in the county ot' Suffolk and State of hlassachusetts, have invented an Improved Instrument for Producing by the Action or' Steam an Alarm or a Musical Sound, of which the following is a full, clear, and eX- act description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which-- Figure l, is a view of an alarm to be connected with a steam boiler, for sounding an alarm when required; Fig. 2, a vertical section through the middle of the same.

My present invention consists in a vessel or chamber communicating with a steam boiler, and having one or more orifices for the escape ot' the steam which is admitted to it, each orifice being covered by a reed so that the escaping steam will produce a musical sound, which may be used for an alarm or a signal, or by a combinationv of a number of such chambers and reed covered openings a musical instrument may be produced.

That. others skilled in the art may understand and use lny invention I will proceed to describe the manner in which I have carried out the same.

In the said drawings A, is a circular band of stout brass or other suitable metal, to which is attached a cap B, and a bottom O. The latter screws on to the edge of the band at a., and is furnished with an opening Z), and a screw c, to which a pipe may be attached to connect it with a steam boiler. This forms a steam chamber D, to which steam is admitted from the boiler when desired by an ordinary valve or stove cock (not shown in these drawings) which may be placed in any convenient part of the pipe which connects the p 29,915, dated September 4, 1860.

chamber D with the boiler. The `band A, has cut through it a series of long narrow slots or openings e, over each of which is soldered on the inside of the band, a plate f, in which is cut a slot z' somewhat smaller than the one in the band opposite to it. Over this latter slot is placed a thin strip of metal m, known in musical instruments as a reed, which is riveted at 5 to the plate f before the plate is soldered on. The reed is of a size at its lower' part to just lit the slot i, but is enlarged at its top where it is riveted at The plate f is thinned down toward the edges of the slot z' as shown at 6 Fig. l.

lVhen steam is admitted to the chamber D, its escape through the slots z' produces a vibra-tion of the reeds m, and gives a musical sound which may be varied by the size of the orifice and the reed.

The chamber A, may be of any convenient form or a number of chambers, each furnished with a slot and reed, and commanded by a suitable stop or valve, may be combined together to form a musical instrument, to be operated by steam.

The above instrument when used as a signal or alarm, may be made to produce a much more agreeable sound than the harsh sounding steam whistle now in general use.

That I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The chamber D communicating with a steam boiler, and furnished with one or more orifices or slots z' and corresponding reeds m,

substantially as described for the purpose speciied.

GEO. Gr. RAY. Titnesses THos R. RoAoH, P. E. TESCHEMACHER. 

